“Keys to Safe Driving” is a series of five, free programs to be presented by Westchester County’s Department of Senior Programs and Services (DSPS) during Older Driver Safety Week from Dec. 3 to Dec. 7.

The sessions are sponsored by the department’s Older Driver Coalition. Each will explore concerns of older drivers, risk factors and steps that older drivers and their families should take to ensure safety. The programs will also discuss the sensitive subject of when it is time to stop driving, and what alternative transportation services are available if a senior does decide to relinquish the keys.

Westchester County Executive Robert Astorino said it is crucial that seniors know what to do behind the wheel to protect both themselves and others.

“I encourage seniors and family caregivers to attend this valuable program,” Astorino said. “Being able to drive can give seniors enormous mobility and enhance their quality of life. However, we want to make sure everyone is safe.”

Occupational therapy students from Mercy College will discuss adaptive devices that seniors can use for comfort and safety as well as medically based driving evaluations. Medical evaluations are needed, for example, if a senior is recovering from a stroke and wants to drive again.  

The students will also discuss CarFit, a program where professionals do a 20-minute check about how well the senior and their vehicle work together. CarFit was created by the American Society on Aging and developed in collaboration with the American Occupational Therapy Association and AARP.
Lawrence Cunningham from the Westchester County Department of Public Works and Transportation will be at each session to help seniors sign up for MTA’s Reduced Fare MetroCard.  

DSPS Commissioner Mae Carpenter said that when seniors can drive it helps to prevent isolation and to keep their important connections to the community at large.

“But it’s also essential for seniors and their families to know when it is time to stop driving and relinquish their keys,” Carpenter said. “Being prepared and knowing what to expect can help ease the transition and enable the senior to find alternate ways to get around.”

Seniors and their families can attend as many sessions as they wish by calling the director of each program, as listed below. Pre-registration is encouraged but walk-ins are welcome.

• Monday, Dec. 3 – Port Chester Senior Community Center, 222 Grace Church St., Port Chester, 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Contact Carol Nielsen, director, at (914) 939-4975.  Mary Ellen Burns from the county Department of Public Works and Transportation will facilitate the program with Marianne Kim, an OT student from Mercy College.
  
  
• Tuesday, Dec. 4 – Theodore Young Community Center, 32 Manhattan Ave., White Plains.  10 a.m. – 11 a.m.  Contact Marianne Madden, director,   at (914) 989-3639. Kathleen Golisz, OTR, OTD, from Mercy College will facilitate with Mercy OT student Umbareen Kahn.  
  
  
• Wednesday, Dec. 5 – Yorktown Senior Center, 1974 Commerce St., Yorktown, 11 a.m. – 12 noon.  Contact Mary DeSilva, director, at (914) 962-7447.  Anna Wyganowska from Public Works and Transportation will facilitate the program with Mercy OT student Meghan Torres.  
  
  
• Thursday, Dec. 5 – Mount Vernon Armory, 144 N. Fifth St., Mount Vernon, 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Contact the Office for the Aging at (914) 665-2315. Beverly Carter from Senior Programs and Services will facilitate with Mercy OT student Malgorzata Haluda.
   
• Friday, Dec. 7 – Joseph Caputo Community Center, 95 Broadway, Ossining, 11 a.m. – 12 noon. Contact Kathy Asaro, director at (914) 762-1350. Janet Weinstein from Lighthouse International will facilitate with Mercy College OT students Diane Booth and Maribel Cuevas.